Vellore Chief Educational Officer orders counselling for students under stress

This was announced by Vellore Chief Educational Officer (CEO) S Mars, in the wake of suicide by four girl students belonging to the Panapakkam Government Higher Secondary School for Girls.

Orders have been issued in this connection to heads of government higher secondary schools to bring to the notice of Vellore officials any student suspected of being under stress and who might need counseling. It may be recalled at a doctor from the Vellore Pentland Government Hospital is already providing psychiatric counselling for needy students on Panapakkam school campus.

In a related venture, Vellore Education officials said headmasters in government high and higher secondary schools have been asked to prepare a list of teachers against whom there werer complaints of sexual molestation. Officials have been asked to do the same for school in Vellore panchayat union.

This move follows Gnanasekaran, the 57- year- old headmaster of the Panchayat Union Middle School being thrashed by Solur village residents near Ambur for molesting a Class 8 student who came late to class. He was later arrested and jailed. Officials said the move was to preempt any such untoward incident in the future. Such blacklisted teachers would face departmental action if the complaint against them proved true, officials added.